Jeff Chamblee The Bible. It's the word of God. Sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word and take your Bible questions. Welcome to Exploring the Word.
Alex McFarland Have you ever wondered how in Matthew 27:46 Jesus is on the cross and, and he cries out and he says, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Well, we're going to talk about that. We're going to give what I think is a pretty comprehensive answer to questions about that verse. But this is Exploring the word with Alex McFarland and Dillon Burroughs. Very honored that you're listening. If you're in a place where you can get a copy of God's Word, please turn to Matthew 27 and Dillon, we've been leading up to Jesus, on the cross. He was crucified, after having been subjected to unfair trials and beatings. And they were accusing him and saying he saved others. Let him save himself. Folks, we're going to pick it up at verse 45. But as we begin exploring the Word today, Dillon, I want to thank you. I felt like yesterday we had a really, really meaningful day of prayer. People calling in with prayer requests and really touched my heart. The privilege we have to pray nationally across the country on the air with people. And I just felt very humble that everybody was so, so eager to bring their needs as we all prayed together. It was a pretty special show. Wasn't, was.
Dillon And I felt the same way. I was talking to my wife Deborah just today and she mentioned that as the thing that stood out to her listening to yesterday's show, that people called in one after another with prayer requests and needs of various kinds, spiritual and physical, family members, work. it just seemed to go on and on. And it wasn't just the two of us praying, it was everyone listening who joined in, in prayer. So the power of prayer combined with all those across the country who are joining in has a significant impact. And thank you for those of us who joined us yesterday. Whether you called in, whether you prayed, whether you listened in. It's such a significant ah, time for all of us and we plan to continue that every Tuesday as well as today as we take your questions and of, we'll always take prayer requests here on the show.
Alex McFarland you know there were, as we wrapped up yesterday, there were eight or ten from Iowa, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana. There were quite a number that we didn't get to live on air. But I want to assure everybody that we did take those names and sentiments down and we did pray yesterday and are praying for all of you and just appreciate you listening. And later, in the show, we'll get to questions as we always do. But right now here is, we're going back to Matthew 27 as we wrap up. You know, we've been probably a couple of months in the Gospel of Matthew. It is one of the longer books of the NewSong Testament, but it's so rich and so full of content. It says from the sixth hour to the ninth hour, there was darkness over all the land. Jesus is on the cross and the sky becomes dark from Jerusalem all the way to Rome. And there was a Roman historian, Josephus tells us that Phlegon, P H L E G O N Phlegon recorded this. That happened. It's amazing. that's what we call extra biblical authentication of something that's in the Bible. About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying, eli, Eli lama sabachthani. That is my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Now this is a quote from Psalm 22. And Dillon, what was going on in the atonement? I don't know that anybody completely understands, but as the guilt of the human race was put on Jesus and he paid our debt, the Father and the Son, for the first and only time in eternity ever, Jesus didn't cease to be God. And in no way was the godhood, diminished or nullified. But some way, the Father and the Son were separated. And that was part of Christ's love for us in suffering to pay our sin debt. It's an overwhelmingly deep subject to ponder, isn't it?
Jeff Chamblee Yes.
Dillon And it was a dark moment physically and spiritually. His reference there is to Psalm 22, which would have been well known to those who were of Jewish background near the cross. They would have seen this as, a connection with my God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me? As David cried out many years ago. So there was an Old Testament connection with what was going on and there were many other fulfillments as well. There is some historical information there too, that's really intriguing. It talks about from the sixth to the ninth hour, like you talked about, which is Approximately noon until 3:00pm local time.
Alex McFarland Correct.
Dillon One thing that I've always been fascinated about is that when people Try to figure out the chronology of when Jesus died on the cross. there are two different dates around that time that were on a Friday when this could have happened, on Passover, 30 AD or 33 AD and it's been calculated there is actually a lunar eclipse that happened on April 3rd, a Friday in AD 33. And it's used as part of the evidence to show this is the exact date, the exact time when Jesus died on the cross. So it's not some mythological story that's been made up later on, to, you know, embellish the facts of what happened. This is something that literally took place. The sky was dark. there was a physical connection with what was happening spiritually during that time that Jesus died. Heaven and earth were changed forever and God's eternal plan moved forward in a very special and unique way. It's fascinating the more you look at it.
Alex McFarland Well, amen, Dillon, this is so powerful. And you know, the reference to Psalm 22, which was written, you know, maybe 1000 BC, I've got to believe that the Jews watching, as you pointed out, that would have been intimately familiar with the scriptures. Dillon, do you think maybe the dots began to connect? Oh, my goodness. Psalm 22. I, am a worm and no man, a reproach of men despised by the people. This is verse six of Psalm 22. all those who see me ridicule me. And they said, he trusted in the Lord, let him rescue him. And then it goes on and it even references the fact that, you know, they pierced his hands and his feet and he was given vinegar to drink. I just have often wondered if, some of them, you know, he cries out, Psalm 22, Psalm 22. oh, my goodness, this must be the Messiah. Certainly he's the one. Because this messianic psalmist, it fits perfectly what we're seeing happen on Golgotha here. maybe some believed, hopefully many did. But they looked and verse 47, Psalm. I'm sorry, Matthew 27. They thought, he's calling for Elijah. And immediately one of them ran, took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a reed, offered him to drink, and the rest said, let him alone. Let us see if Elijah will come and, and save him. a lot of confusion here, but they're watching. Well, I'll put it like Adrian Rogers the Great. He's long since gone to heaven. He said, Adrian Rogers, he said, on a skull shaped hill outside of Jerusalem, man murdered his maker. It's amazing. You know, Dillon Charles Spurgeon wrote that, many times a king told his people to die for me. But this time, the king died for the people. It's fascinating and it's reality. It happened before we, proceed. Verse 50 and following. Any comment, Dillon?
Dillon Well, I wanted to mention you talked about whether the Jews would notice this was a reference to the Old Testament. If they didn't notice it, then Matthew is clearly pointing it out when he's writing his gospel. And when we read verse 48 about the, sponge and the sour wine, that's a reference that goes back to Psalm 69. It says, they also gave me gall for my food and for my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink, giving yet another prophetic connection. Matthew, does this throughout his gospel time, time. Again, he says, this is what Isaiah, the prophet said. This is what we see in the prophets. This is what we see talked about by Moses. So that someone who's Jewish who looks at his gospel during that first century period would have said, oh, my goodness, this is exactly what was predicted hundreds and hundreds of years ago. Not just once, but many times. And those who have counted it have often said There are over 300 unique prophecies related to Jesus and his first coming. So this is very powerful supernatural evidence that connects with what happened in the life of Jesus.
Alex McFarland Indeed, indeed. and by the way, you know, they kind of perceived Elijah as part of the, the, the end times. And of course, many, believe that Moses and Elijah are the two witnesses during the tribulation period. But in verse 49, when they're looking for Elijah, at least in some way, they, they knew a little, but were confused on a lot. But verse 50, Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. Now I think it's interesting that Jesus life wasn't taken from him. When it says he yielded up his spirit, the old King James says he gave up the ghost, the pneuma. Jesus hung there. The wrath of God that we deserve was put on Christ. And at the right moment, he willed and yielded up his spirit. that's important, Dillon, and I'd love your comment on this. Christ could take it up again and resurrect because he laid it down in the first place he could die. He had the power over life and death. And in Jon 18:35, when Jesus is before Pilate and Pilate says, what is truth? Jon 18:35, and Jesus said, for this cause I came into the world. See, none of us could say this. We cannot say that we chose our entry into the world, our parents conceived us and we were born. Jesus could supernaturally ascend to heaven. Jesus could supernaturally resurrect from the grave. Jesus could supernaturally yield up his spirit. he had the power over life and eternity. He willfully chose his supernatural entry onto the stage of human history. I just think there are volumes of, of miraculous truth about Christ's deity, there in Matthew 27:50, that he had the power to, will his physical expiration at the right moment that he chose to do so.
Dillon Well, you're right, there's a lot of theological significance in this verse and the following verses. But to add one more thought to what you mentioned there, the way it's worded in verse 50 about Jesus crying out and yielding up his spirit is a unique way to share about his death that makes a distinction between Jesus giving, giving up his human life and Jesus ending his life. Because we know that Jesus is the second person of the triune Godhead. He's always been, always will be, never ends. So in one sense, Jesus never ended, but his human body died upon the cross when he yielded up his spirit. So there is that distinction as well. But then in verse 51 and following, it talks about some very odd things from the perspective of our human understanding. It talks about the veil of the temple, which is this big Jewish temple we read about during the time of Solomon being built, was torn in two from top to bottom. That's something that humans couldn't do. It also said the earthquake, there's some kind of earthquake. Rocks were split and the graves were open and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the graves after his resurrection. It fast forwards here a little bit. They went into the holy city and appeared to many, this is significant because it influences the response of the centurion. In verse 54, the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and the things that had happened they feared greatly, saying, truly, this was the Son of God. And that's the whole point Matthew's making here. It's not about, wow, a lot of neat supernatural things happen. It's, this is evidence that Jesus was who he said he was, the unique son of God, the chosen one. So there's so much to unpack and we're just hitting the surface here, but still looking forward to catching up some more on this after we come back from the break. Any final comments here, Alex?
Alex McFarland Well, that Roman centurion, one moment he was part of the Cause of the cross. A moment later, he's one of the beneficiaries. Truly, this was the Son of God. Hopefully you've made that decision and said that as well. We're going to come back right after this brief break with more Exploring the word Matthew 27, plus your calls and Bible questions. Stay tuned.
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Dr. Jessica Peck come Jesus, come. We've been waiting so long for the day you return to heal every hurt right Every ro need you right now.
Alex McFarland Welcome back to Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here along with Dillon Burroughs. We're in Matthew 27. And you know Dillon, I've heard this, these scriptures my whole life. I mean they're so familiar. The, the death of the cross, but it's going to be triumphant as he resurrects. But, until we get to that verse 55 and 56, the women that are following, they're looking from afar. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses and the mother of Zebedee's sons. And they're going to play a big role. Isn't it, significant that the first people that see the empty tomb, and know that the resurrection has taken place will get there are women. It's amazing, isn't it? An affirmation that women are the first witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus.
Dillon Yeah, there's a lot that could be said about that because the testimony of a woman in the first century in that area was not counted as equal with the testimony of a man. But it is significant that there were several women at the cross, the last ones to see him in this life and then the first ones to see him when he returned to life. So there is a lot, there that emphasizes the importance of the women who ministered to him, as it mentions in verse 55, including his mother. And the account that we see in the Gospel of Jon with Mary, the mother of Jesus, that she is, told that she would be taken under the care of Jon the Apostle. And that becomes, a way that we also know that, the dad of, Jesus, Joseph, the half dad or half father you would say, technically was already passed away because she was put under the care of one of the apostles. So she also played a very unique role in the early church in addition to the life of Jesus during his ministry. So we see all kinds of connections there. But those aren't the only ones. There are some other people that come along, Starting in verse 57, who have a unique role. And I'll let you mention some of that.
Alex McFarland Well, and you know, there are at least three Josephs in the Bible. Of course, there's Joseph in the coat of many colors, Genesis 37, 45. There's Joseph, the dad of Jesus, not the biological father, Mary's husband, Joseph, but this is another Joseph. This is Joseph of Arimathea. And he is a rich council member, who did not consent to the Sanhedrin's condemnation of Jesus. And what he does is pretty bold. In verse 57, evening had come, okay, darkness had fallen, and there's a rich man. Or late in the day, darkness hadn't fallen yet, but it's coming quickly. And he goes, and he was a disciple of Jesus. In verse 57, that's, pretty courageous thing at that point. He goes to Pilate and asks for the body of Jesus. And Pilate gives that command. And Joseph had taken the body, wrapped it in clean linen cloth. Now, Nicodemus had also come, you'll remember, from Jon chapter three. And Nicodemus brought what, historians say is approximately 75 pounds of burial spices and Jesus body. Verse 1661 is laid in a new tomb that was cut from a rock and a large stone was rolled. Mary Magdalene was there and the other Mary sitting opposite the tomb. And, you know, the Bible had predicted that Christ would be buried in a tomb where nobody had ever been laid. But, but, Joseph of Arimathea, a heroic disciple of Jesus. And, you know, isn't this amazing that, praise God, the body of Jesus was given a proper burial, but otherwise it wouldn't have been. But they were very faithful. And at this point in history, Dillon, I think pretty brave because what the Jewish hierarchy or the Romans could have done now that Christ had been executed, I mean, any of the disciples could have been fair game for persecution or death as well, right?
Dillon And there is a lot that could be said about Joseph of Arimathea. But one thing I always think about is what happened to this guy in the early church, because he was likely one of those 120 early followers of Jesus in the upper room before the day of Pentecost. And so Peter is preaching and 3,000 are baptized. And what do you think Joseph is Saying, you know, he's one of those guys who says, I was there. I literally put him in the tomb. And yet he's alive again. So it's very significant evidence that Jesus not only died, but he was buried in a specific known place that Joseph was familiar with, that Nicodemus was familiar with two reputable Jewish leaders, as well as the women. And so there was no denying where the location was. And as we'll see in a moment, there were also Roman guards at the tomb. So when his body disappeared, you couldn't say, oh, we had the wrong location. this is a very unique situation in which there's no denying the facts of the case. There's an empty tomb. There's no body. Where did it go? What happened? And the most reasonable conclusion, even though it's supernatural, is that Jesus really did resurrect from the dead.
Alex McFarland Yeah. and we don't know, as far as I'm aware, historically, you know, he's not mentioned anymore in the NewSong Testament canon. we'll see him in heaven, no doubt. But he, And it really was in fulfillment of Isaiah 53. 9 that he would be buried with the wicked. and Christ was buried in that tomb. And so here's the thing, though. Pilate is aware that he had prophesied his resurrection. So the next day which followed the day of preparation. So this is on the Sabbath. The chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, sir, remember while he was still alive, how that deceiver. Isn't that sad? Verse 63. They refer to Jesus as that deceiver. by the way, they're not keeping the Sabbath, are they? They're. Dillon, when they go to have. Have a song with Pilate, after three days, I will rise. They knew Christ had said that. Therefore, command that the tomb be made secure into the third day, lest his disciples come by night and steal him away, say to the people, he has risen from the dead. By the way, let me, digress a moment here, folks. One of the things we do in apologetics is we talk about the refutation of naturalistic theories about the resurrection. did Jesus fake his death? Did the disciples have hallucinations? And the answer is no. Well, one of the naturalistic theories to try to explain away the resurrection is what's called the stolen body theory, which is not true. It doesn't match up with the facts. It's really refuted even here. even within the Gospels, which it would be centuries before all these naturalistic denials were cobbled together. But stolen body theory is refuted right here, isn't it, Dillon?
Dillon It is. And you think what would be the way that you would even show that that's possible? Because later we see that Jesus appears to his disciples. Well, they're locked in a room out of fear of what would happen to them if they go public right after Jesus has died. And so they're not out there trying to do something big to get his body. And then you have the the Jewish leaders who were already saying, we know that he talked about coming back in three days, so let's do something to prevent it. And then you have the guards there. So you have all these layers of evidence that point to the opposite of this theory, which just go to show how far fetched it is.
Alex McFarland indeed, indeed. So Pilate says, you have a guard, go your way, make it as secure as you know how. Verse 65. So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and, and setting the guard. Well, thus ends Matthew 27. We've got a couple of minutes and we'll allude to chapter 28 here. But in summary, Christ went to the cross. He could have, as the old gospel song says, he could have called legions of angels. But he humbly, like a sheep, led before the killers. He didn't answer a word. He was quiet and he was crucified. And he's led, laid in a tomb. They've made accusation, they've sealed the tomb and now what's going to happen? How sad it would be if the story ended there. but Matthew 28, after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn. Now this is Sunday morning. Mary Magdalene, the other Mary, came to the tomb. Behold, there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning. Dillon, I've got to ask you this. There was an earthquake during the crucifixion. this is In Matthew, 27, 51. Now there's a, ah, shaking of the earth Sunday morning, isn't there? It's almost like the miraculous death and atonement shook the elements. So did the resurrection itself. God still has power over the elements, doesn't he?
Dillon He does. And we often see earthquakes associated with mighty moves of God throughout scripture from the judgment in the book of Numbers, to like you said, at the death of Jesus and now the resurrection of Jesus. We see places in the NewSong Testament later on where it talks about the place where they were, were shaken, in terms of response to the power of God. see, even the, the jail where Paul was at, where there was an earthquake and all the prisoners were able to get out of their cells. So there are many examples throughout Scripture of earthquakes being associated with God's power. And this is one of them associated specifically with an angel at the empty tomb. And for me, it's also significant the names of the women mentioned, as we talked about earlier, that they're the last to see him alive. They're some of the first to see the empty tomb, and then we'll be the first to see him alive again. So, many examples of eyewitness accounts. And in fact, if you look throughout Scripture at the resurrection accounts, there are over 500 people who saw Jesus alive at one time in First Corinthians 15. And if you add up all the totals, it's. It's far more than 500. So it's not some hallucination, it's not some vision. Somebody saw a ghost like figure. All those theories, fail to account for the facts that Jesus literally rose from the dead and was who he said he was, the Son of God and is the Lord and risen Savior that we are called to believe in and follow us still today.
Alex McFarland Indeed. Let's, talk for just a moment about the Shroud of Turin. and I want to talk about this in light of, verse three of Matthew 28, the angel there. and one of the things we'll do tomorrow is, I've got a chart in one of my books where I go through all of the resurrection accounts and the women at the tomb, the angels at the tomb, the words, the message. But it says his countenance was like lightning. And the Greek word there is, astrape, if I'm pronouncing it correctly. But, it could mean a flash of lightning. It, could mean rays, R A Y, S. back in the summer, Dillon Gary Habermas and I were in a conference and he did a presentation on the Shroud of Turin. And, we don't know if that was the actual burial cloth of Christ, although, it seems pretty compelling. It was almost like a nuclear blast that seared into the cloth an image. Now, I'm not saying that's truly it, we just don't know. But it seems somewhat compelling. But this, the rays of lightning, even this angel appearing at the tomb had a countenance like the brightness of the sun, almost like the brightness of Jesus that you read about in Matthew 17 on the Mount of Transfiguration. Dillon, and we've not talked about this before the show, but, have you ever read any of Habermas research on the Shroud? And I'm asking you. And agree, disagree. What do you think about the Shroud? Is it, possible, evidentiary proof of the resurrection? Do you have any opinion on the Shroud?
Dillon Well, sure. It's one of those things that if it is true, then it's certainly one of the strongest pieces of physical evidence we have regarding the resurrection of Jesus. But the question is whether it is true. it seems to be something that dates from the medieval period where religious relics were a very big deal. There were relics for all kinds of things, and this was one. That's why it's found in Turin, which is in Italy, where there was once the winter, Olympics, I believe. So. Me personally, I look at that and go, maybe, but probably not. People like Dr. Gary Habermas have looked at it and said, probably, yes. So, you know, you can look at the evidence and argue one way or the other, but for me, I don't determine my faith based on whether the Shroud of Turin is legit or not. I'm looking at the evidence for the empty tomb. Is Jesus really who he said he was and, go based on that? the Scriptures give the evidence, but ultimately comes down to us believing by faith in Jesus Christ and seeing him change our lives. I don't know about you, but when I believed in Jesus for the first time when I was 12 years old, I wasn't going. I wonder if the Shroud is still out there somewhere. I wonder if all the accounts line up in the Gospels. I was just a young guy who knew that I had sinned and I was in need of a savior and knew that I needed some other way besides myself to get to heaven. So I repented. I believed, I accepted Christ. I was forgiven in. My life was different. It wasn't perfect, but I knew something had changed. So when it comes down to it, we don't base our faith on things like the Shroud of Turin or some other archaeological discovery. But it is helpful when we see these things and with Matthew especially, we can look at so many of these details that go, straight to Israel today. You can go to Jerusalem and see some of these sites. You can see where the crucifixion likely took place, where the empty tomb likely is, the road in Jerusalem that was walked, the places where the praetorium were Was, there's so much you can go by, but it still comes down to making that decision to follow Jesus personally by faith in the Lord.
Alex McFarland Well said. Well said. And, you know, speaking of the evidences, I like in verse 6 of Matthew 28, he is not here, for he has risen. As he said, come see the place where he lay. Past tense verb. He's not laying there now. he was there, but he's risen. And I'm with you. You know, it was faith, trust, belief. And I knew nothing about the evidences or the artifacts. I just heard the message of the gospel and I believed, in him. And my life was changed as well. Well, we've got a break coming up, and I want to encourage people in, preparation for tomorrow, read the rest of Matthew 28 where Dillon and I, good Lord willing, we'll wrap up Matthew 28 tomorrow. But what we're going to do after this brief break, we're going to take phone calls and questions. The number 888. 589 88. That's 888. 589-8840. If you've got a Bible question, any and all questions, we welcome Dillon and I will do our best to give you a factual biblical answer on today's edition of Exploring the Word on the American Family Radio Network. We're back after this.
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Dr. Jessica Peck So let the rain help you grow? Oh, the harvest isn't far? Cause something beautiful is on the way? And where you are is not. We were made to stay. It's only for a moment? So keep holding on.
Alex McFarland M Amen. Only for a moment so keep holding on. Hey, by the way, we're back. The number, if you want to call in with a Bible question, it's 888-589-8840. Hey, Dillon and I, along with Loren Green of Fox News, we will be next summer, good Lord willing. We're gonna be at the Cove July 12 through 16. we're gonna be teaching biblical worldview. I'm very excited about this. I've been to the COVID many times. The website is the t-e c o v e.org and, Dillon will be there in person. Lauren Greene in person. She's got her Third book coming out. She's a brilliant Christian thinker in addition to being one of America's most well recognized news anchors. But, if you want to join us at the COVID I'll also be there doing a three day seminar on the book of Romans, but then five days on biblical worldview. And I know summer of 27 is a long way away, but plan now, think about that. Maybe, you know, give it to yourself as a Christmas present. Come to Asheville. And Dillon, I can just tell you time at the COVID to immerse yourself in God's word and just experience his creation and, you know, just the presence of the Lord there at the Billy Graham Conference Center. folks, you will not be disappointed. And Dillon, I just want to say we are thrilled that you're going to be there teaching next summer with us.
Dillon Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. For me, it's the first time for you, you're a veteran, but for everyone involved, it's going to be a great experience. I live on the other side of the mountains where we will be. I'm on the Tennessee side. We'll be there in Asheville, North Carolina. So please check it [email protected] I believe and get signed up right away and join us next summer for an amazing week of spiritual encouragement and education, friendship together, and get to see all of us in person together.
Alex McFarland Amen. Amen. Well, we're going to go down to Texas. one of my favorite places. Rhonda in Texas. Rhonda, are you there? Hey, Rhonda.
Caroline Hello?
Caroline Hello?
Alex McFarland Rhonda in Texas, are you there?
Caroline Hello?
Alex McFarland Yes, can you hear me?
Caroline Hi, I apologize. I was on mute. I'm so sorry. yeah, so I just have a quick question, about the second coming of Christ. and why is it we don't, why is the Resurrection. Why wasn't that considered the Second Coming? Since technically, you know.
Alex McFarland Great, great question. there's a lot that I could say about that. Dillon, I'm going to let you start this one off. what do you say to Rhonda? Why is there a need for a return of Christ?
Dillon Well, very briefly, you can look at the end of Matthew 28, which we'll talk about tomorrow, where he talks about, coming back and being with us always till the end of the age. And then if you look at Acts, chapter one, he talks about returning the way that he left, or at least the angels talk about that. So there are a couple of places where we see Jesus saying he's coming Back even after he's been resurrected. So we know that his resurrection wasn't the second coming. The big controversy now among even Christian scholars is whether the order will be one way or another in terms of the. The Rapture happening before the tribulation period discussed in Revelation, and then a second coming, or whether there would just be one return of Christ at the end of the tribulation period or perhaps at some point in between there. So that's really more the discussion now. But certainly, it seems in some ways that the resurrection of Jesus would be that second coming. But he speaks very clearly about another time that he would come in the future. So we're looking forward to that. Still ahead, for those of, us
Alex McFarland who believe today, indeed, and, you know, Acts 1:11, this same Jesus will return in like manner. And, our privilege right now, not only our responsibility, but our privilege is to help people hear the gospel and be saved and come to Christ. Rhonda, thank you for that call. I'm going to click on Ohio. is this Lexie in Ohio? Hello, Lexie.
Caroline Hello.
Alex McFarland Yes, yes, you're on Exploring the Word.
Caroline Hi, good afternoon. I have a prayer request. There's a gentleman from my church who went through treatment for throat cancer. And he got over it, and at one of his checkups, it came back and started growing. And he has to go through chemo again. And it's very painful. And he hasn't been able to come to church recently.
Alex McFarland Mmm. Wow. Could you share his first name? And we will be sure to pray for him.
Caroline I don't. I didn't ask him if I could share this request.
Alex McFarland Sure, sure. Yes, yes. I lost my best friend, growing up friend for 37 years. He died to throat cancer. And he never smoked or drank and devout Christian. And I know it is quite painful. So, Lexie, thanks for sharing and we will pray for this man, folks, a gentleman in Ohio at Lexie's church with a recurrent, throat cancer there. Thank you for sharing that. Thank you very much. Gonna go to Georgia. Jon in Georgia. Thanks for holding. Welcome to the program.
Caroline Yeah, I guess, was gonna give you some information that I, I researched on the shroud, and I saw, you know, a documentary on it. And they say that the only way that image could have been created, that shroud, was through a strong radiation emission, which would have happened maybe at the time of the resurrection. And there's no way that it could have been, made up in those days, because there was no way you could have such a radiation emission like that. So I think that the Shroud is real. And, you know, I don't, I don't see how any other way you could explain that image being on there, other than what they, what they scientists have said would have to be like an atomic radiation, emission.
Alex McFarland Jon, thanks. Yeah, I mentioned Gary, ah, Habermas. I don't know if you all know, he's, a friend and a colleague, really, really respected scholar on the resurrection and on ancient evidence for the life of Christ. And he also teaches for us, in the apologetics program at Charis, Bible College. and he says that. And it's an interesting artifact. I would encourage you because probably Habermas has studied the Shroud more than any other Protestant scholar. And there's some pretty amazing things about pollen from the region of Palestine that people in the Middle Ages they could not possibly have known about. And even, some of the bones in the fingers and the dentition, the teeth, the image and Habermas. We were in a conference this past summer and he was talking about how he has shown some of the X ray images to medical doctors and one, orthodontist who said, if it was a middle, Ages forgery, how in the world did they know about bone structure and teeth and just the, the detail. But I want to be clear what Dillon said. The truth of the Christian gospel does not hang on the facticity or falsity of the Shroud. If the Shroud is genuine, that's just very compelling affirmation of what we read in the Gospels. But, we don't know for sure. Here's the point that the empty tomb, the resurrection, the truth of the Gospels, the early believers willing to die for this, not to mention millions of changed lives, answered prayers. It is so compelling. And if you're listening to this and you're wondering, is Jesus real? It's compelling. In fact. One last thing, Dillon, and we've got to move on. Habermas, in one of our conferences this summer, cited a half dozen secular historians, not believers necessarily, but who say there's no other explanation. The tomb is empty. Christ must have risen. Well, if Christ rose, then that verifies what he said. And what he said is that in believing in him we are forgiven. What a wonderful savior we have, what a compelling gospel we proclaim. Let's go to Texas. Christ speaking. Shelley in Texas. Shelly, welcome to Explore the Word. You're on.
Caroline Hi. Hi. I was. Can you hear me?
Alex McFarland Yes.
Caroline Yeah, I was wondering if you could explain Hebrews 10:26, where it. Where it says, if you willfully sin, when you know the truth, he no longer remains a sacrifice.
Caroline And.
Caroline Can I hang up so I can listen?
Alex McFarland Sure, you may. Sure. this is really good, because Hebrews 6 and Hebrews 10 talk about turning, away from truth. And one of the kind, of corollaries, eternal security. Dillon, I'm going to throw it to you. Hebrews 10:26. For if we sin willfully, Help us accurately handle this passage, Dillon.
Dillon Yeah, well, this is one that people have long had a, discussion and debate about in terms of whether we interpret this as someone who is a believer who falls away from the faith, or someone who never truly believed, or how that's to be understood. But if you look at it in its larger context, the entire chapter of chapter 10 is about Christ's sacrifice being once for all, and comparing that to what was taking place in the Old Testament legal system, that there were endless, repetitive animal sacrifices that could not cleanse sins, because verse four says it's impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin sins. So that seems to be the focus there. And then when you get down toward the part that you mentioned, near the end of the chapter, and it says, if we keep on Sinning, verse 26, after we've received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left. And verse 27 adds, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and a raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. So it's making it clear that this is someone who rejects a faith in Jesus Christ.
Caroline Christ.
Dillon So if you have Jesus as the author of salvation, offering you eternal life, and you still turn away from it, what else is left? And that seems to be the emphasis and the application there, that if that's your response to Jesus, all you have left is what verse 27 says. A fearful expectation of judgment and a raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. And, that's a concerning and very negative and critical conclusion. But it is what results from those who turn away from the Lord and reject his message.
Alex McFarland A great question, Dillon. Thank you for that good, answer. Let's go to my home state of North Carolina. Willie in North Carolina. Are you there, sir?
Caroline Yes, sir. How you doing?
Alex McFarland Blessed. Thank you for calling.
Caroline Yeah, see, I. I listen to y' all every day. This station of all of you and you all still reading from the same Bible and world that were destroyed in the first world. What I want to hear myself is the time from Noah on For everything from Adam and Eve to Jesus is gone. Before, he discarded all the first world. Now, and how did he get that from all them animals off that tub down on the ground?
Alex McFarland M. Great question, Willie. Thank you. I love the subject of Noah's ark, I really do. And, you know, from Adam and Eve. And Adam and Eve sinned, and, you know, the human race was under guilt, but so many people were born. And it got to a point where, you know, the world was just so evil and violent that God sent judgment. But there was a righteous man and his family, eight souls that got on this ark of salvation. Now, Dillon, when Noah built the ark, he would have been in an area called Mesopotamia, and God told those animals to come. And by the way, let me just say our friend and colleague Ken Ham, has built a replica of the ark, accurate in every detail. And, the thing about the ark landing up on a mountaintop, Noah didn't have to get the ark up there. The flood waters were above the highest mountain ranges. And so as the flood waters, 370 days, the earth was covered in water. As those waters abated, the ark came to rest on the top of that mountain. But Dillon, as I understand it, he wouldn't have had to get the animals in the ark up there. The floodwaters carried the boat up there, didn't they?
Caroline They.
Dillon Yes. I think that's a good way to approach it. The more concerning question people often have are how all the animals fit on the boat to begin with. But when you look at what the scripture records, two of every kind of animal, maybe not necessarily every species of every animal, if you look at two of every kind, I think, as you mentioned, Ken Ham, and the organization behind the ark that you can go visit there in Northern Kentucky, near Cincinnati, gives a great portrayal and living example of what that would look like and what the animals would be doing on the ark and how that would all, work out in terms of the logistics. But, it is a fascinating study. The Ark being 300 cubits long and what that means for us today. That's such a huge, huge expanse when you look at it. Just as large as some of our big cruise ships today. if you get online or see the actual ark there that is in Northern Kentucky, you can see the massive size. And, it would have been significant enough to carry the animals that were described in Genesis. And as you mentioned, the flood waters would have taken that boat to the highest mountain and to the mountain where it rested. And of course, still today, People are still trying to figure out where that ark and its remains are and some fun stories to look at and concerning the evidence for that.
Alex McFarland indeed. a lot more we could say. I might revisit that later in the week. I want to try to get one more question in Marshall in Louisiana. Marshall, are you there?
Caroline Yes, sir.
Alex McFarland welcome. What you got?
Caroline I just have one quick question for you. On yesterday's program, you were talking to a man. He said that his father in law was giving him problems about, not being Pentecostal or not attending a Pentecostal church. And you said that you would send him a book, some about assurance of your salvation. All I want you to do is. Can you tell me what the title of that is? I want that.
Alex McFarland yes. I want to mention two books, a little booklet that I wrote that is on my website, alexmcfarland.com look for a tab about my relationship with God. My relationship with God. I do believe in the eternal security of the believer. A longer book that I didn't mention, but I will now, which is really good, is by Charles Stanley called Eternal Security can youn Be. But, what I'm sending out to the caller from yesterday is the printout. But the very same thing is on my website, alexmcfarland.com, read the tab. My Relationship with God. Well, Dillon, tomorrow, good Lord willing, we'll wrap up Matthew 28, won't we?
Dillon I'm looking forward to it. Appreciate everybody being with us today. Let's end the Gospel of Matthew Strong tomorrow here again on Exploring the Word.
Alex McFarland Well, thank you for listening. Thank you. Thanks to Brent Austin for running the soundboard and all the crew. Thank you for being a part of Exploring the Word. Tell somebody about afr. Most of all, tell them about Jesus. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family Association or American Family Radio.
Jeff Chamblee The Bible. It's the word of God. Sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word and take your Bible questions. Welcome to Exploring the Word.
Alex McFarland Have you ever wondered how in Matthew 27:46 Jesus is on the cross and, and he cries out and he says, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Well, we're going to talk about that. We're going to give what I think is a pretty comprehensive answer to questions about that verse. But this is Exploring the word with Alex McFarland and Dillon Burroughs. Very honored that you're listening. If you're in a place where you can get a copy of God's Word, please turn to Matthew 27 and Dillon, we've been leading up to Jesus, on the cross. He was crucified, after having been subjected to unfair trials and beatings. And they were accusing him and saying he saved others. Let him save himself. Folks, we're going to pick it up at verse 45. But as we begin exploring the Word today, Dillon, I want to thank you. I felt like yesterday we had a really, really meaningful day of prayer. People calling in with prayer requests and really touched my heart. The privilege we have to pray nationally across the country on the air with people. And I just felt very humble that everybody was so, so eager to bring their needs as we all prayed together. It was a pretty special show. Wasn't, was.
Dillon And I felt the same way. I was talking to my wife Deborah just today and she mentioned that as the thing that stood out to her listening to yesterday's show, that people called in one after another with prayer requests and needs of various kinds, spiritual and physical, family members, work. it just seemed to go on and on. And it wasn't just the two of us praying, it was everyone listening who joined in, in prayer. So the power of prayer combined with all those across the country who are joining in has a significant impact. And thank you for those of us who joined us yesterday. Whether you called in, whether you prayed, whether you listened in. It's such a significant ah, time for all of us and we plan to continue that every Tuesday as well as today as we take your questions and of, we'll always take prayer requests here on the show.
Alex McFarland you know there were, as we wrapped up yesterday, there were eight or ten from Iowa, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana. There were quite a number that we didn't get to live on air. But I want to assure everybody that we did take those names and sentiments down and we did pray yesterday and are praying for all of you and just appreciate you listening. And later, in the show, we'll get to questions as we always do. But right now here is, we're going back to Matthew 27 as we wrap up. You know, we've been probably a couple of months in the Gospel of Matthew. It is one of the longer books of the NewSong Testament, but it's so rich and so full of content. It says from the sixth hour to the ninth hour, there was darkness over all the land. Jesus is on the cross and the sky becomes dark from Jerusalem all the way to Rome. And there was a Roman historian, Josephus tells us that Phlegon, P H L E G O N Phlegon recorded this. That happened. It's amazing. that's what we call extra biblical authentication of something that's in the Bible. About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying, eli, Eli lama sabachthani. That is my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Now this is a quote from Psalm 22. And Dillon, what was going on in the atonement? I don't know that anybody completely understands, but as the guilt of the human race was put on Jesus and he paid our debt, the Father and the Son, for the first and only time in eternity ever, Jesus didn't cease to be God. And in no way was the godhood, diminished or nullified. But some way, the Father and the Son were separated. And that was part of Christ's love for us in suffering to pay our sin debt. It's an overwhelmingly deep subject to ponder, isn't it?
Jeff Chamblee Yes.
Dillon And it was a dark moment physically and spiritually. His reference there is to Psalm 22, which would have been well known to those who were of Jewish background near the cross. They would have seen this as, a connection with my God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me? As David cried out many years ago. So there was an Old Testament connection with what was going on and there were many other fulfillments as well. There is some historical information there too, that's really intriguing. It talks about from the sixth to the ninth hour, like you talked about, which is Approximately noon until 3:00pm local time.
Alex McFarland Correct.
Dillon One thing that I've always been fascinated about is that when people Try to figure out the chronology of when Jesus died on the cross. there are two different dates around that time that were on a Friday when this could have happened, on Passover, 30 AD or 33 AD and it's been calculated there is actually a lunar eclipse that happened on April 3rd, a Friday in AD 33. And it's used as part of the evidence to show this is the exact date, the exact time when Jesus died on the cross. So it's not some mythological story that's been made up later on, to, you know, embellish the facts of what happened. This is something that literally took place. The sky was dark. there was a physical connection with what was happening spiritually during that time that Jesus died. Heaven and earth were changed forever and God's eternal plan moved forward in a very special and unique way. It's fascinating the more you look at it.
Alex McFarland Well, amen, Dillon, this is so powerful. And you know, the reference to Psalm 22, which was written, you know, maybe 1000 BC, I've got to believe that the Jews watching, as you pointed out, that would have been intimately familiar with the scriptures. Dillon, do you think maybe the dots began to connect? Oh, my goodness. Psalm 22. I, am a worm and no man, a reproach of men despised by the people. This is verse six of Psalm 22. all those who see me ridicule me. And they said, he trusted in the Lord, let him rescue him. And then it goes on and it even references the fact that, you know, they pierced his hands and his feet and he was given vinegar to drink. I just have often wondered if, some of them, you know, he cries out, Psalm 22, Psalm 22. oh, my goodness, this must be the Messiah. Certainly he's the one. Because this messianic psalmist, it fits perfectly what we're seeing happen on Golgotha here. maybe some believed, hopefully many did. But they looked and verse 47, Psalm. I'm sorry, Matthew 27. They thought, he's calling for Elijah. And immediately one of them ran, took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a reed, offered him to drink, and the rest said, let him alone. Let us see if Elijah will come and, and save him. a lot of confusion here, but they're watching. Well, I'll put it like Adrian Rogers the Great. He's long since gone to heaven. He said, Adrian Rogers, he said, on a skull shaped hill outside of Jerusalem, man murdered his maker. It's amazing. You know, Dillon Charles Spurgeon wrote that, many times a king told his people to die for me. But this time, the king died for the people. It's fascinating and it's reality. It happened before we, proceed. Verse 50 and following. Any comment, Dillon?
Dillon Well, I wanted to mention you talked about whether the Jews would notice this was a reference to the Old Testament. If they didn't notice it, then Matthew is clearly pointing it out when he's writing his gospel. And when we read verse 48 about the, sponge and the sour wine, that's a reference that goes back to Psalm 69. It says, they also gave me gall for my food and for my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink, giving yet another prophetic connection. Matthew, does this throughout his gospel time, time. Again, he says, this is what Isaiah, the prophet said. This is what we see in the prophets. This is what we see talked about by Moses. So that someone who's Jewish who looks at his gospel during that first century period would have said, oh, my goodness, this is exactly what was predicted hundreds and hundreds of years ago. Not just once, but many times. And those who have counted it have often said There are over 300 unique prophecies related to Jesus and his first coming. So this is very powerful supernatural evidence that connects with what happened in the life of Jesus.
Alex McFarland Indeed, indeed. and by the way, you know, they kind of perceived Elijah as part of the, the, the end times. And of course, many, believe that Moses and Elijah are the two witnesses during the tribulation period. But in verse 49, when they're looking for Elijah, at least in some way, they, they knew a little, but were confused on a lot. But verse 50, Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. Now I think it's interesting that Jesus life wasn't taken from him. When it says he yielded up his spirit, the old King James says he gave up the ghost, the pneuma. Jesus hung there. The wrath of God that we deserve was put on Christ. And at the right moment, he willed and yielded up his spirit. that's important, Dillon, and I'd love your comment on this. Christ could take it up again and resurrect because he laid it down in the first place he could die. He had the power over life and death. And in Jon 18:35, when Jesus is before Pilate and Pilate says, what is truth? Jon 18:35, and Jesus said, for this cause I came into the world. See, none of us could say this. We cannot say that we chose our entry into the world, our parents conceived us and we were born. Jesus could supernaturally ascend to heaven. Jesus could supernaturally resurrect from the grave. Jesus could supernaturally yield up his spirit. he had the power over life and eternity. He willfully chose his supernatural entry onto the stage of human history. I just think there are volumes of, of miraculous truth about Christ's deity, there in Matthew 27:50, that he had the power to, will his physical expiration at the right moment that he chose to do so.
Dillon Well, you're right, there's a lot of theological significance in this verse and the following verses. But to add one more thought to what you mentioned there, the way it's worded in verse 50 about Jesus crying out and yielding up his spirit is a unique way to share about his death that makes a distinction between Jesus giving, giving up his human life and Jesus ending his life. Because we know that Jesus is the second person of the triune Godhead. He's always been, always will be, never ends. So in one sense, Jesus never ended, but his human body died upon the cross when he yielded up his spirit. So there is that distinction as well. But then in verse 51 and following, it talks about some very odd things from the perspective of our human understanding. It talks about the veil of the temple, which is this big Jewish temple we read about during the time of Solomon being built, was torn in two from top to bottom. That's something that humans couldn't do. It also said the earthquake, there's some kind of earthquake. Rocks were split and the graves were open and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the graves after his resurrection. It fast forwards here a little bit. They went into the holy city and appeared to many, this is significant because it influences the response of the centurion. In verse 54, the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and the things that had happened they feared greatly, saying, truly, this was the Son of God. And that's the whole point Matthew's making here. It's not about, wow, a lot of neat supernatural things happen. It's, this is evidence that Jesus was who he said he was, the unique son of God, the chosen one. So there's so much to unpack and we're just hitting the surface here, but still looking forward to catching up some more on this after we come back from the break. Any final comments here, Alex?
Alex McFarland Well, that Roman centurion, one moment he was part of the Cause of the cross. A moment later, he's one of the beneficiaries. Truly, this was the Son of God. Hopefully you've made that decision and said that as well. We're going to come back right after this brief break with more Exploring the word Matthew 27, plus your calls and Bible questions. Stay tuned.
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Alex McFarland Welcome back to Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here along with Dillon Burroughs. We're in Matthew 27. And you know Dillon, I've heard this, these scriptures my whole life. I mean they're so familiar. The, the death of the cross, but it's going to be triumphant as he resurrects. But, until we get to that verse 55 and 56, the women that are following, they're looking from afar. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses and the mother of Zebedee's sons. And they're going to play a big role. Isn't it, significant that the first people that see the empty tomb, and know that the resurrection has taken place will get there are women. It's amazing, isn't it? An affirmation that women are the first witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus.
Dillon Yeah, there's a lot that could be said about that because the testimony of a woman in the first century in that area was not counted as equal with the testimony of a man. But it is significant that there were several women at the cross, the last ones to see him in this life and then the first ones to see him when he returned to life. So there is a lot, there that emphasizes the importance of the women who ministered to him, as it mentions in verse 55, including his mother. And the account that we see in the Gospel of Jon with Mary, the mother of Jesus, that she is, told that she would be taken under the care of Jon the Apostle. And that becomes, a way that we also know that, the dad of, Jesus, Joseph, the half dad or half father you would say, technically was already passed away because she was put under the care of one of the apostles. So she also played a very unique role in the early church in addition to the life of Jesus during his ministry. So we see all kinds of connections there. But those aren't the only ones. There are some other people that come along, Starting in verse 57, who have a unique role. And I'll let you mention some of that.
Alex McFarland Well, and you know, there are at least three Josephs in the Bible. Of course, there's Joseph in the coat of many colors, Genesis 37, 45. There's Joseph, the dad of Jesus, not the biological father, Mary's husband, Joseph, but this is another Joseph. This is Joseph of Arimathea. And he is a rich council member, who did not consent to the Sanhedrin's condemnation of Jesus. And what he does is pretty bold. In verse 57, evening had come, okay, darkness had fallen, and there's a rich man. Or late in the day, darkness hadn't fallen yet, but it's coming quickly. And he goes, and he was a disciple of Jesus. In verse 57, that's, pretty courageous thing at that point. He goes to Pilate and asks for the body of Jesus. And Pilate gives that command. And Joseph had taken the body, wrapped it in clean linen cloth. Now, Nicodemus had also come, you'll remember, from Jon chapter three. And Nicodemus brought what, historians say is approximately 75 pounds of burial spices and Jesus body. Verse 1661 is laid in a new tomb that was cut from a rock and a large stone was rolled. Mary Magdalene was there and the other Mary sitting opposite the tomb. And, you know, the Bible had predicted that Christ would be buried in a tomb where nobody had ever been laid. But, but, Joseph of Arimathea, a heroic disciple of Jesus. And, you know, isn't this amazing that, praise God, the body of Jesus was given a proper burial, but otherwise it wouldn't have been. But they were very faithful. And at this point in history, Dillon, I think pretty brave because what the Jewish hierarchy or the Romans could have done now that Christ had been executed, I mean, any of the disciples could have been fair game for persecution or death as well, right?
Dillon And there is a lot that could be said about Joseph of Arimathea. But one thing I always think about is what happened to this guy in the early church, because he was likely one of those 120 early followers of Jesus in the upper room before the day of Pentecost. And so Peter is preaching and 3,000 are baptized. And what do you think Joseph is Saying, you know, he's one of those guys who says, I was there. I literally put him in the tomb. And yet he's alive again. So it's very significant evidence that Jesus not only died, but he was buried in a specific known place that Joseph was familiar with, that Nicodemus was familiar with two reputable Jewish leaders, as well as the women. And so there was no denying where the location was. And as we'll see in a moment, there were also Roman guards at the tomb. So when his body disappeared, you couldn't say, oh, we had the wrong location. this is a very unique situation in which there's no denying the facts of the case. There's an empty tomb. There's no body. Where did it go? What happened? And the most reasonable conclusion, even though it's supernatural, is that Jesus really did resurrect from the dead.
Alex McFarland Yeah. and we don't know, as far as I'm aware, historically, you know, he's not mentioned anymore in the NewSong Testament canon. we'll see him in heaven, no doubt. But he, And it really was in fulfillment of Isaiah 53. 9 that he would be buried with the wicked. and Christ was buried in that tomb. And so here's the thing, though. Pilate is aware that he had prophesied his resurrection. So the next day which followed the day of preparation. So this is on the Sabbath. The chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, sir, remember while he was still alive, how that deceiver. Isn't that sad? Verse 63. They refer to Jesus as that deceiver. by the way, they're not keeping the Sabbath, are they? They're. Dillon, when they go to have. Have a song with Pilate, after three days, I will rise. They knew Christ had said that. Therefore, command that the tomb be made secure into the third day, lest his disciples come by night and steal him away, say to the people, he has risen from the dead. By the way, let me, digress a moment here, folks. One of the things we do in apologetics is we talk about the refutation of naturalistic theories about the resurrection. did Jesus fake his death? Did the disciples have hallucinations? And the answer is no. Well, one of the naturalistic theories to try to explain away the resurrection is what's called the stolen body theory, which is not true. It doesn't match up with the facts. It's really refuted even here. even within the Gospels, which it would be centuries before all these naturalistic denials were cobbled together. But stolen body theory is refuted right here, isn't it, Dillon?
Dillon It is. And you think what would be the way that you would even show that that's possible? Because later we see that Jesus appears to his disciples. Well, they're locked in a room out of fear of what would happen to them if they go public right after Jesus has died. And so they're not out there trying to do something big to get his body. And then you have the the Jewish leaders who were already saying, we know that he talked about coming back in three days, so let's do something to prevent it. And then you have the guards there. So you have all these layers of evidence that point to the opposite of this theory, which just go to show how far fetched it is.
Alex McFarland indeed, indeed. So Pilate says, you have a guard, go your way, make it as secure as you know how. Verse 65. So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and, and setting the guard. Well, thus ends Matthew 27. We've got a couple of minutes and we'll allude to chapter 28 here. But in summary, Christ went to the cross. He could have, as the old gospel song says, he could have called legions of angels. But he humbly, like a sheep, led before the killers. He didn't answer a word. He was quiet and he was crucified. And he's led, laid in a tomb. They've made accusation, they've sealed the tomb and now what's going to happen? How sad it would be if the story ended there. but Matthew 28, after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn. Now this is Sunday morning. Mary Magdalene, the other Mary, came to the tomb. Behold, there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning. Dillon, I've got to ask you this. There was an earthquake during the crucifixion. this is In Matthew, 27, 51. Now there's a, ah, shaking of the earth Sunday morning, isn't there? It's almost like the miraculous death and atonement shook the elements. So did the resurrection itself. God still has power over the elements, doesn't he?
Dillon He does. And we often see earthquakes associated with mighty moves of God throughout scripture from the judgment in the book of Numbers, to like you said, at the death of Jesus and now the resurrection of Jesus. We see places in the NewSong Testament later on where it talks about the place where they were, were shaken, in terms of response to the power of God. see, even the, the jail where Paul was at, where there was an earthquake and all the prisoners were able to get out of their cells. So there are many examples throughout Scripture of earthquakes being associated with God's power. And this is one of them associated specifically with an angel at the empty tomb. And for me, it's also significant the names of the women mentioned, as we talked about earlier, that they're the last to see him alive. They're some of the first to see the empty tomb, and then we'll be the first to see him alive again. So, many examples of eyewitness accounts. And in fact, if you look throughout Scripture at the resurrection accounts, there are over 500 people who saw Jesus alive at one time in First Corinthians 15. And if you add up all the totals, it's. It's far more than 500. So it's not some hallucination, it's not some vision. Somebody saw a ghost like figure. All those theories, fail to account for the facts that Jesus literally rose from the dead and was who he said he was, the Son of God and is the Lord and risen Savior that we are called to believe in and follow us still today.
Alex McFarland Indeed. Let's, talk for just a moment about the Shroud of Turin. and I want to talk about this in light of, verse three of Matthew 28, the angel there. and one of the things we'll do tomorrow is, I've got a chart in one of my books where I go through all of the resurrection accounts and the women at the tomb, the angels at the tomb, the words, the message. But it says his countenance was like lightning. And the Greek word there is, astrape, if I'm pronouncing it correctly. But, it could mean a flash of lightning. It, could mean rays, R A Y, S. back in the summer, Dillon Gary Habermas and I were in a conference and he did a presentation on the Shroud of Turin. And, we don't know if that was the actual burial cloth of Christ, although, it seems pretty compelling. It was almost like a nuclear blast that seared into the cloth an image. Now, I'm not saying that's truly it, we just don't know. But it seems somewhat compelling. But this, the rays of lightning, even this angel appearing at the tomb had a countenance like the brightness of the sun, almost like the brightness of Jesus that you read about in Matthew 17 on the Mount of Transfiguration. Dillon, and we've not talked about this before the show, but, have you ever read any of Habermas research on the Shroud? And I'm asking you. And agree, disagree. What do you think about the Shroud? Is it, possible, evidentiary proof of the resurrection? Do you have any opinion on the Shroud?
Dillon Well, sure. It's one of those things that if it is true, then it's certainly one of the strongest pieces of physical evidence we have regarding the resurrection of Jesus. But the question is whether it is true. it seems to be something that dates from the medieval period where religious relics were a very big deal. There were relics for all kinds of things, and this was one. That's why it's found in Turin, which is in Italy, where there was once the winter, Olympics, I believe. So. Me personally, I look at that and go, maybe, but probably not. People like Dr. Gary Habermas have looked at it and said, probably, yes. So, you know, you can look at the evidence and argue one way or the other, but for me, I don't determine my faith based on whether the Shroud of Turin is legit or not. I'm looking at the evidence for the empty tomb. Is Jesus really who he said he was and, go based on that? the Scriptures give the evidence, but ultimately comes down to us believing by faith in Jesus Christ and seeing him change our lives. I don't know about you, but when I believed in Jesus for the first time when I was 12 years old, I wasn't going. I wonder if the Shroud is still out there somewhere. I wonder if all the accounts line up in the Gospels. I was just a young guy who knew that I had sinned and I was in need of a savior and knew that I needed some other way besides myself to get to heaven. So I repented. I believed, I accepted Christ. I was forgiven in. My life was different. It wasn't perfect, but I knew something had changed. So when it comes down to it, we don't base our faith on things like the Shroud of Turin or some other archaeological discovery. But it is helpful when we see these things and with Matthew especially, we can look at so many of these details that go, straight to Israel today. You can go to Jerusalem and see some of these sites. You can see where the crucifixion likely took place, where the empty tomb likely is, the road in Jerusalem that was walked, the places where the praetorium were Was, there's so much you can go by, but it still comes down to making that decision to follow Jesus personally by faith in the Lord.
Alex McFarland Well said. Well said. And, you know, speaking of the evidences, I like in verse 6 of Matthew 28, he is not here, for he has risen. As he said, come see the place where he lay. Past tense verb. He's not laying there now. he was there, but he's risen. And I'm with you. You know, it was faith, trust, belief. And I knew nothing about the evidences or the artifacts. I just heard the message of the gospel and I believed, in him. And my life was changed as well. Well, we've got a break coming up, and I want to encourage people in, preparation for tomorrow, read the rest of Matthew 28 where Dillon and I, good Lord willing, we'll wrap up Matthew 28 tomorrow. But what we're going to do after this brief break, we're going to take phone calls and questions. The number 888. 589 88. That's 888. 589-8840. If you've got a Bible question, any and all questions, we welcome Dillon and I will do our best to give you a factual biblical answer on today's edition of Exploring the Word on the American Family Radio Network. We're back after this.
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Dr. Jessica Peck So let the rain help you grow? Oh, the harvest isn't far? Cause something beautiful is on the way? And where you are is not. We were made to stay. It's only for a moment? So keep holding on.
Alex McFarland M Amen. Only for a moment so keep holding on. Hey, by the way, we're back. The number, if you want to call in with a Bible question, it's 888-589-8840. Hey, Dillon and I, along with Loren Green of Fox News, we will be next summer, good Lord willing. We're gonna be at the Cove July 12 through 16. we're gonna be teaching biblical worldview. I'm very excited about this. I've been to the COVID many times. The website is the t-e c o v e.org and, Dillon will be there in person. Lauren Greene in person. She's got her Third book coming out. She's a brilliant Christian thinker in addition to being one of America's most well recognized news anchors. But, if you want to join us at the COVID I'll also be there doing a three day seminar on the book of Romans, but then five days on biblical worldview. And I know summer of 27 is a long way away, but plan now, think about that. Maybe, you know, give it to yourself as a Christmas present. Come to Asheville. And Dillon, I can just tell you time at the COVID to immerse yourself in God's word and just experience his creation and, you know, just the presence of the Lord there at the Billy Graham Conference Center. folks, you will not be disappointed. And Dillon, I just want to say we are thrilled that you're going to be there teaching next summer with us.
Dillon Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. For me, it's the first time for you, you're a veteran, but for everyone involved, it's going to be a great experience. I live on the other side of the mountains where we will be. I'm on the Tennessee side. We'll be there in Asheville, North Carolina. So please check it [email protected] I believe and get signed up right away and join us next summer for an amazing week of spiritual encouragement and education, friendship together, and get to see all of us in person together.
Alex McFarland Amen. Amen. Well, we're going to go down to Texas. one of my favorite places. Rhonda in Texas. Rhonda, are you there? Hey, Rhonda.
Caroline Hello?
Caroline Hello?
Alex McFarland Rhonda in Texas, are you there?
Caroline Hello?
Alex McFarland Yes, can you hear me?
Caroline Hi, I apologize. I was on mute. I'm so sorry. yeah, so I just have a quick question, about the second coming of Christ. and why is it we don't, why is the Resurrection. Why wasn't that considered the Second Coming? Since technically, you know.
Alex McFarland Great, great question. there's a lot that I could say about that. Dillon, I'm going to let you start this one off. what do you say to Rhonda? Why is there a need for a return of Christ?
Dillon Well, very briefly, you can look at the end of Matthew 28, which we'll talk about tomorrow, where he talks about, coming back and being with us always till the end of the age. And then if you look at Acts, chapter one, he talks about returning the way that he left, or at least the angels talk about that. So there are a couple of places where we see Jesus saying he's coming Back even after he's been resurrected. So we know that his resurrection wasn't the second coming. The big controversy now among even Christian scholars is whether the order will be one way or another in terms of the. The Rapture happening before the tribulation period discussed in Revelation, and then a second coming, or whether there would just be one return of Christ at the end of the tribulation period or perhaps at some point in between there. So that's really more the discussion now. But certainly, it seems in some ways that the resurrection of Jesus would be that second coming. But he speaks very clearly about another time that he would come in the future. So we're looking forward to that. Still ahead, for those of, us
Alex McFarland who believe today, indeed, and, you know, Acts 1:11, this same Jesus will return in like manner. And, our privilege right now, not only our responsibility, but our privilege is to help people hear the gospel and be saved and come to Christ. Rhonda, thank you for that call. I'm going to click on Ohio. is this Lexie in Ohio? Hello, Lexie.
Caroline Hello.
Alex McFarland Yes, yes, you're on Exploring the Word.
Caroline Hi, good afternoon. I have a prayer request. There's a gentleman from my church who went through treatment for throat cancer. And he got over it, and at one of his checkups, it came back and started growing. And he has to go through chemo again. And it's very painful. And he hasn't been able to come to church recently.
Alex McFarland Mmm. Wow. Could you share his first name? And we will be sure to pray for him.
Caroline I don't. I didn't ask him if I could share this request.
Alex McFarland Sure, sure. Yes, yes. I lost my best friend, growing up friend for 37 years. He died to throat cancer. And he never smoked or drank and devout Christian. And I know it is quite painful. So, Lexie, thanks for sharing and we will pray for this man, folks, a gentleman in Ohio at Lexie's church with a recurrent, throat cancer there. Thank you for sharing that. Thank you very much. Gonna go to Georgia. Jon in Georgia. Thanks for holding. Welcome to the program.
Caroline Yeah, I guess, was gonna give you some information that I, I researched on the shroud, and I saw, you know, a documentary on it. And they say that the only way that image could have been created, that shroud, was through a strong radiation emission, which would have happened maybe at the time of the resurrection. And there's no way that it could have been, made up in those days, because there was no way you could have such a radiation emission like that. So I think that the Shroud is real. And, you know, I don't, I don't see how any other way you could explain that image being on there, other than what they, what they scientists have said would have to be like an atomic radiation, emission.
Alex McFarland Jon, thanks. Yeah, I mentioned Gary, ah, Habermas. I don't know if you all know, he's, a friend and a colleague, really, really respected scholar on the resurrection and on ancient evidence for the life of Christ. And he also teaches for us, in the apologetics program at Charis, Bible College. and he says that. And it's an interesting artifact. I would encourage you because probably Habermas has studied the Shroud more than any other Protestant scholar. And there's some pretty amazing things about pollen from the region of Palestine that people in the Middle Ages they could not possibly have known about. And even, some of the bones in the fingers and the dentition, the teeth, the image and Habermas. We were in a conference this past summer and he was talking about how he has shown some of the X ray images to medical doctors and one, orthodontist who said, if it was a middle, Ages forgery, how in the world did they know about bone structure and teeth and just the, the detail. But I want to be clear what Dillon said. The truth of the Christian gospel does not hang on the facticity or falsity of the Shroud. If the Shroud is genuine, that's just very compelling affirmation of what we read in the Gospels. But, we don't know for sure. Here's the point that the empty tomb, the resurrection, the truth of the Gospels, the early believers willing to die for this, not to mention millions of changed lives, answered prayers. It is so compelling. And if you're listening to this and you're wondering, is Jesus real? It's compelling. In fact. One last thing, Dillon, and we've got to move on. Habermas, in one of our conferences this summer, cited a half dozen secular historians, not believers necessarily, but who say there's no other explanation. The tomb is empty. Christ must have risen. Well, if Christ rose, then that verifies what he said. And what he said is that in believing in him we are forgiven. What a wonderful savior we have, what a compelling gospel we proclaim. Let's go to Texas. Christ speaking. Shelley in Texas. Shelly, welcome to Explore the Word. You're on.
Caroline Hi. Hi. I was. Can you hear me?
Alex McFarland Yes.
Caroline Yeah, I was wondering if you could explain Hebrews 10:26, where it. Where it says, if you willfully sin, when you know the truth, he no longer remains a sacrifice.
Caroline And.
Caroline Can I hang up so I can listen?
Alex McFarland Sure, you may. Sure. this is really good, because Hebrews 6 and Hebrews 10 talk about turning, away from truth. And one of the kind, of corollaries, eternal security. Dillon, I'm going to throw it to you. Hebrews 10:26. For if we sin willfully, Help us accurately handle this passage, Dillon.
Dillon Yeah, well, this is one that people have long had a, discussion and debate about in terms of whether we interpret this as someone who is a believer who falls away from the faith, or someone who never truly believed, or how that's to be understood. But if you look at it in its larger context, the entire chapter of chapter 10 is about Christ's sacrifice being once for all, and comparing that to what was taking place in the Old Testament legal system, that there were endless, repetitive animal sacrifices that could not cleanse sins, because verse four says it's impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin sins. So that seems to be the focus there. And then when you get down toward the part that you mentioned, near the end of the chapter, and it says, if we keep on Sinning, verse 26, after we've received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left. And verse 27 adds, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and a raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. So it's making it clear that this is someone who rejects a faith in Jesus Christ.
Caroline Christ.
Dillon So if you have Jesus as the author of salvation, offering you eternal life, and you still turn away from it, what else is left? And that seems to be the emphasis and the application there, that if that's your response to Jesus, all you have left is what verse 27 says. A fearful expectation of judgment and a raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. And, that's a concerning and very negative and critical conclusion. But it is what results from those who turn away from the Lord and reject his message.
Alex McFarland A great question, Dillon. Thank you for that good, answer. Let's go to my home state of North Carolina. Willie in North Carolina. Are you there, sir?
Caroline Yes, sir. How you doing?
Alex McFarland Blessed. Thank you for calling.
Caroline Yeah, see, I. I listen to y' all every day. This station of all of you and you all still reading from the same Bible and world that were destroyed in the first world. What I want to hear myself is the time from Noah on For everything from Adam and Eve to Jesus is gone. Before, he discarded all the first world. Now, and how did he get that from all them animals off that tub down on the ground?
Alex McFarland M. Great question, Willie. Thank you. I love the subject of Noah's ark, I really do. And, you know, from Adam and Eve. And Adam and Eve sinned, and, you know, the human race was under guilt, but so many people were born. And it got to a point where, you know, the world was just so evil and violent that God sent judgment. But there was a righteous man and his family, eight souls that got on this ark of salvation. Now, Dillon, when Noah built the ark, he would have been in an area called Mesopotamia, and God told those animals to come. And by the way, let me just say our friend and colleague Ken Ham, has built a replica of the ark, accurate in every detail. And, the thing about the ark landing up on a mountaintop, Noah didn't have to get the ark up there. The flood waters were above the highest mountain ranges. And so as the flood waters, 370 days, the earth was covered in water. As those waters abated, the ark came to rest on the top of that mountain. But Dillon, as I understand it, he wouldn't have had to get the animals in the ark up there. The floodwaters carried the boat up there, didn't they?
Caroline They.
Dillon Yes. I think that's a good way to approach it. The more concerning question people often have are how all the animals fit on the boat to begin with. But when you look at what the scripture records, two of every kind of animal, maybe not necessarily every species of every animal, if you look at two of every kind, I think, as you mentioned, Ken Ham, and the organization behind the ark that you can go visit there in Northern Kentucky, near Cincinnati, gives a great portrayal and living example of what that would look like and what the animals would be doing on the ark and how that would all, work out in terms of the logistics. But, it is a fascinating study. The Ark being 300 cubits long and what that means for us today. That's such a huge, huge expanse when you look at it. Just as large as some of our big cruise ships today. if you get online or see the actual ark there that is in Northern Kentucky, you can see the massive size. And, it would have been significant enough to carry the animals that were described in Genesis. And as you mentioned, the flood waters would have taken that boat to the highest mountain and to the mountain where it rested. And of course, still today, People are still trying to figure out where that ark and its remains are and some fun stories to look at and concerning the evidence for that.
Alex McFarland indeed. a lot more we could say. I might revisit that later in the week. I want to try to get one more question in Marshall in Louisiana. Marshall, are you there?
Caroline Yes, sir.
Alex McFarland welcome. What you got?
Caroline I just have one quick question for you. On yesterday's program, you were talking to a man. He said that his father in law was giving him problems about, not being Pentecostal or not attending a Pentecostal church. And you said that you would send him a book, some about assurance of your salvation. All I want you to do is. Can you tell me what the title of that is? I want that.
Alex McFarland yes. I want to mention two books, a little booklet that I wrote that is on my website, alexmcfarland.com look for a tab about my relationship with God. My relationship with God. I do believe in the eternal security of the believer. A longer book that I didn't mention, but I will now, which is really good, is by Charles Stanley called Eternal Security can youn Be. But, what I'm sending out to the caller from yesterday is the printout. But the very same thing is on my website, alexmcfarland.com, read the tab. My Relationship with God. Well, Dillon, tomorrow, good Lord willing, we'll wrap up Matthew 28, won't we?
Dillon I'm looking forward to it. Appreciate everybody being with us today. Let's end the Gospel of Matthew Strong tomorrow here again on Exploring the Word.
Alex McFarland Well, thank you for listening. Thank you. Thanks to Brent Austin for running the soundboard and all the crew. Thank you for being a part of Exploring the Word. Tell somebody about afr. Most of all, tell them about Jesus. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family Association or American Family Radio.
Join Alex McFarland and Dillon Burroughs on Exploring the Word as they dive into Matthew 27 and 28. This episode tackles powerful questions about Jesus' cry from the cross ("My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"), historical authentication of the crucifixion darkness, the physical and spiritual reality of the atonement, the refutation of the stolen body theory, and eyewitness accounts of the resurrection. Stay tuned for listener call-ins covering Bible questions about the second coming, Hebrews 10:26, and Noah's Ark.
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